I have certainly learned after years of walking the path of recovery that faith cannot be a “sometimes thing.” We either have it or we don’t. However, I have also learned that practicing to have faith is almost as effective as the real thing. As you know, if you have been following my blog, I just came through a dark phase. It came on me gradually but it was “full-blown” in no time and I felt immobilized. I had no impetus to do any thing and was fearful that the darkness wouldn’t leave any time soon. I have suffered chronic depression over the years and this felt like I was dropping back into that hole, a hole that’s so deep it feels hard to climb out.
And then a friend at a meeting shared a thought with me, a thought about my specific condition that gave me the spark of light I needed. Life would be so much harder to navigate if we didn’t have our “teachers” who find us on the path. I have become a believer that my friend and teacher was specifically present that day because of the message I needed to hear. The reason this makes particular sense is that he isn’t always at that meeting, nor am I. That day we were both guided to be present. I was inspired to share my darkness and he was inspired to share his light with me.
The beauty of this exchange is that now I am lifted up and seeing things from a much brighter place and I can now offer to someone else a similar kind of healing message, one they might need. Life is about giving and taking. Healing happens when we honor the message within us that we know is for someone else. It’s our job to be patient and protect the message until the right recipient comes forth. He or she will always come forth. I have come to believe that’s how God works and that’s the value of having faith. Someone will arrive whom I need to meet. They will share some thing I need to hear. And I will be moved to see that moment and my life, from that day forth, more certainly.
We are never forgotten on our journey. The messenger will always arrive. We simply have to be willing to hear the message and trust that it has been sent by God. Faith that this is so is the only requirement.
